Thursday, April 30, 2015

Good old southern cooking. One of my dear friends prepared this feast and oh my did we enjoy. While I am not sure of here exact recipes let me tell you that they were all delicious. One of my favorite parts was the green beans. You may want to make up some of your own . Here is an awesome recipe that you can easily make yourself

Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and bacon and cook till browned. Add onion and cook until the onion is soft, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the green beans and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook green beans until they are soft but not mushy, about 30-45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

1. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. If using whole tomatoes, cut each into quarters and then cut each quarter in half again so you have pieces about 1-inch in size. If using grape or cherry tomatoes, leave whole. Cut pepper into 1-inch pieces, removing the stem and seeds. Quarter the onion and separate the layers.
3. Toss all vegetables in a medium bowl with olive oil, fresh thyme, cumin, salt and pepper until thoroughly coated.
4. Take a skewer and alternate colors and vegetables so you get a good variety.
5. Once the grill is hot, place skews on the BBQ and cook for ~10 minutes, turning frequently to make sure to get a good charred edge on each side. This will add to the overall flavor!
6. While the kabobs are grilling, add the cumin, salt and pepper to the yogurt and stir well to mix evenly.
7. Once the kabobs are done, drizzle with the yogurt sauce and either serve alone, as a side or inside a fresh pita.

There are three delicious very important ingredients in a BLT. Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. If you ask a group of individuals which is the most important you may have an endless debate on your hands. The history of the BLT is just as creative as the sandwich itself. BLTs are popular all over America and is a treat for every class of individuals as well. Whether you like the thick bacon or enjoy the sliced thin bacon is everyones individual choice. I can remember my grandmother using bacon from the meat that she would raise straight from the butcher. Yummy is all I have to say. Add a thick slice of tomato or perhaps you enjoy thinner slices. Lettuce can be the leafy type or torn bite size pieces. Try this recipe shared about 10 years ago on the Today show

The perfect BLTServes 2

4 slices white, wheat or sourdough bread

10 to 12 slices dry-cured bacon

2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes

4 leaves Bibb or oak leaf lettuce, washed

Mayonnaise or aioli
Kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Baking Directions:

1) Core and slice the tomatoes into medium slices (a bit bigger than 1/8-inch).2) If possible, find slab bacon that you can slice yourself. Once you have the slices, cut them in half and fry over low-medium heat, making sure not to overcook. Don't drain the fat, and don't overcrowd the pan or overlap the slices. When ready, take the slices out and, says chef Michele Anna Jordan, drain them on a plain brown paper bag.3) When the bacon is almost done, toast the bread until it's just slightly golden — not fully brown.4) Set the four pieces of toast out before you. Spread the mayonnaise on all the pieces. You can either make your own mayo or aioli, or use a good store-bought one like Hellman's/Best Foods.5) Put the tomatoes on one side of the bread for each sandwich. Sprinkle lightly with salt.6) The bacon comes next. Use as much as you feel you can fit on the sandwich. Then add the lettuce.7) Place the remaining slices of bread on top. Cut sandwiches in two, preferably on the diagonal. Serve

Gardening has been on mind lately and I simply can not wait til the first ripe tomato. This recipe I am sharing today reminds me of my mom. She would eat a sliced tomato with her grilled cheese, bread and butter or simply alone. She loved her tomatoes as well. This recipe from McCormick really shares a new style of serving up a delicious grilled cheese sandwich. By the way did you know that April is grilled cheese month? How do you like your grilled cheese? Are you a tomato lover as well.

4 slices multigrain bread, lightly toasted

8 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese (1 ounce each)

2 plum tomatoes, cut into 16 thin slices

1 teaspoon McCormick® Oregano Leaves

Top each bread slice with 2 cheese slices, 4 tomato slices and 1/4 teaspoon of the oregano.